Partial Knee Replacement

Partial knee replacement is also named as unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, i.e., UKA. It is an operational process that is used to treat or cure severe knee arthritis. It is favorable for only a specific part of the knee as its name suggests. The doctor recommends knee joint replacement when a patient shows symptoms of knee arthritis. These symptoms include knee pain and tightness in the joints that make the patient go restless the whole night and restrict him/her to perform daily tasks. Except for surgery, the knee pain continues to happen for long-term, and it takes considerable time to get reduced. That’s why Knee replacement surgery is preferred as it reduces pain instantly and eventually restores the functioning.

Methodology

Total knee replacement involves routine in which the whole knee is replaced. It is recommended for the people who suffer from osteoarthritis and get their whole knee affected. Some patients with osteoarthritis, but have just a part of the knee affected, are eligible to get treated with unicompartmental, i.e., partial knee replacement.

In the methodology associated with partial knee replacement, just the damaged compartment is being replaced with the help of a new metal or plastic surface. The healthy part or cartilage of the bone associated with the knee is left as it is or unchanged. Generally, partial knee replacement process includes implants being placed in between the thigh bone’s end and the shin bone’s top. Some particular types of partial knee replacement methods include replacement the part of the joint that exists under the kneecap.

Partial Knee Replacement Surgery Procedure

Partial knee replacement operation is followed by a small incision, i.e., a surgery cut. The cut is too small in comparison to the one that is done in the conventional total knee replacement surgery.Various studies have proven that the partial knee replacement methodology functions superbly well for most of the people who adopt it properly. The benefits of this type of operation over the other one, i.e., total knee replacement are:

Fast recovery

Reduced pain after the completion of surgery

Decreased blood-loss

In the partial knee replacement surgery, the bone, ligaments, and cartilage are kept unchanged as long as they are not the affected areas. It is one of the most considerable reasons that the partial knee replacement seems to be felt like a more natural process in comparison to the total knee replacement one.

A partial knee replacement surgery generally gets completed in between 1 to 2 hours. With any operation, be it a minor or major one, some risks are always involved. The risks associated with partial knee replacement surgery are blood clots, an injury to vessels or nerves, minute infection, the risk of an anesthetic, and continuous pain.

As the partial knee replacement operation is done through a small invasive cut, the time to be spent in the hospital also gets shortened. Because of which, the recovery is faster than that of the total knee replacement, and one can quickly return to the ordinary activities (approx. six weeks after the surgery).

People who go through a partial knee replacement surgery, generally suffer less pain, reduced swelling, and easy-going rehabilitation after the completion of the surgery. In almost all the cases, the patient gets discharged within 1 to 3 days after the surgery.